


A Witch's Awakening

by perrstein



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, autistic enby Glynda, fifteen year old Glynda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 02:32:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11934489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perrstein/pseuds/perrstein
Summary: How Glynda Goodwich had their aura unlocked, and how Ozpin made Major Mistake Number 64 in his life.





	A Witch's Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> For @yashkonu, who indulges my odd 3am ideas.

_"A witch ought never be frightened in the darkest forest.. because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her."_

  
_Terry Pratchett_   


* * *

 

The woods creaked and swayed, echoing with life, a path parting under the firm press of sturdy leather boots. The steady, rhythmic step carried on as Glynda made their way through the brush. Sweat dripped from their golden brow as they pushed on to the next town, supplies rattling inside the solid canvas rucksack draped across broad shoulders. Beams of light filtered through lush, emerald leaves, the harsh rays near blinding as the sun passed its peak.

 

Each breath continued to be a struggle; the air itself so thick it felt as if it was going to drip down Glynda's throat. But they still moved, relentless in their single-minded desire to return the books previously borrowed and exchange them for something new. The weekly library trip was significantly out of their way, but nothing would deter the surly fifteen-year old from grasping whatever education possible.

 

The journey was one that’s been well-traveled over the past six years, yet the path differed each time to avoid the Grimm population that swelled in the unoccupied areas between towns. Distant rustling brought Glynda to a standstill; with shallow breath and closed eyes, they strained to learn more from the sound. Three smaller Grimm from the sound of paws meeting the ground and at least a quarter mile away, the air absent of any overlarge feathers rustling.

 

A small sigh of relief slipped past Glynda’s lips. There was enough distance that short of anything dramatic, the Grimm would never notice them. A step forward and the small _snap_ of a twig left them frozen once more. In all of Hunter related books Glynda had managed to get their hands on, it was repeatedly stressed that the Grimm were drawn to any negative emotions. So they breathed, slow and steady, and mentally stepped away from themself to slip under the wave of emotional distance.

 

Almost like a machine with no thought for themself, Glynda resumed their journey. Another quarter of a mile passed unseen by Glynda’s soul, but the wear to their boots could very much attest to it having happened. They would have continued walking in this fashion if not for the pained scream slicing through the humid air. It sounded almost like it was underwater to Glynda’s distant mind, but it snapped them back to the present moment with a sharpness that showed in emerald eyes.

 

Fists clenched ‘till knuckles bleached white, they quickly considered their options. The only ones who could successfully drive away Grimm were trained soldiers, with their sheer amount of weaponry, or Hunters, who could be considered walking battalions unto themselves.There was little an oversized, under trained farm-born fifteen-year old could do-- besides die in the face of one Grimm, let alone three. Any assistance the next town could provide would be hours late, even if Glynda sprinted the rest of the way there.

 

There was only option Glynda could live with, even if it meant dying in these woods.

 

Their left heel dug into the rich soil beneath their soles and with a rippling wave of tensed muscle, they shot off like a bullet towards the lone gunshot echoing through the treetops. It had been so long since they had truly pushed to their upper limits of speed from an easy walk, before the other village children learned to be judgemental of anyone who was awkward in crowds.

 

Still, they pushed further, desperate gasps for breaths filling the humid air and flora bent on the path Glynda steamrolled, trying to get there as quickly as possible. As they grew closer to where the sounds originated, a sudden change in noise had Glynda slowing to a stop. Head tilting sharply to the side, they strained to hear the information needed to set their next path. Muffled groaning sounded before sharply cutting itself off a few meters to Glynda’s right, and angry snuffling too close for comfort directly ahead.

 

Creeping slowly in a crouched position, the grip on their bag tightened slightly as Glynda worried over what degree of injured person they were about to find. Shivering, they shoved the thought out of their mind and peered into the bush the groan had come from. The waxen face of a pain-riddled grown man filled their vision, a clearly mangled leg the obvious source of distress. His laboured breathing spiked with panic at the sight of a worried child in the middle of Grimm hunting grounds.

 

“Who are you?” Glynda’s words hardly carried, a breath of sound as they crouched by his head. Eyes darting over the scene, the recently fired handgun loosely held in his hand noted before Glynda focused on his injury. “Are you a Hunter?”

 

His blood-flecked grimace twisted further as he tried to examine the damage he took, “Ozpin. I’m _supposed_ to be a professor at a Hunter university, even with a drained aura and today's foolish choices.”

 

With narrowed eyes and thinned lips, Glynda’s gaze snapped back to his. “If you’re a Hunter, then you could--” A thunderous howl cut off their hushed discussion, an unignorable reminder of the danger they were both still in.

 

Before he could protest or beg Glynda to flee, Ozpin was gently hoisted off the ground; the agony of further movement was too much for him. Glynda watched as he lost consciousness, wincing at how they had unintentionally jostled him too much and did their best to cradle him while shifting their bag to rest on Ozpin’s seemingly uninjured chest. Eyes darting around their surroundings, there were few areas that could provide the necessary points to provide basic first aid while keeping them out of the reach of ground based Grimm.

 

There was one tree, just barely reaching above the others, that had branches thickened with age. It would have to do, Glynda decided. Carefully, they made their way to it. Moving someone with injuries they didn’t know the full extent of left a bad taste in Glynda’s mouth, but treatment and strategy both brought a lower chance of immediate death. With a grimace, they shifted their grip on Ozpin so he was held in one arm while Glynda began to climb the tree with the other. Bark gave way under a desperate grip, calloused hands turning bloody from the effort of undertaking such a strenuous task with only one available hand.

 

Panting with discomfort and exertion, they finally managed to pull the two of them up to the highest branch Glynda was comfortable with. The branch was just wide enough to perform a basic field examination of Ozpin; with some careful stepping and the machete in their bag pulled from its sheath, Glynda was able to cut a slimmer branch from the trunk that could serve as a leg splint for him.

 

The damage to Ozpin’s leg looked like it was starting to heal thanks to his aura, but as a trickle rather than the powerful flood of healing it should have been. Worry creased their brow. An almost complete aura drain was dangerous, even in the safety of a fortress. Why someone would travel through Grimm grounds with drained aura was beyond Glynda’s ken; the villagers they’ve grown up with typically only left the village with a hired Hunter who had the chance to rest from the journey there to maximize their chance of survival.

 

With steady hands, Glynda cut away the shredded pant leg and brought out the bottled well water they always carried to wash out the worst of his wound, with the snuffling of a Grimm heard from below. The emotional distance between Glynda and the task at hand could be measured in miles rather than inches, a lack of any feeling so strong that it took active energy to continue working on bandaging and splinting Ozpin’s bad leg.

 

Finally looking up from the successfully splinted leg, they were confident Ozpin would be able to last until Glynda could get him to the small town they were heading for. Ozpin stared at them, disbelief written clearly enough across his face that even Glynda noticed, even if they were unaware of the exact moment he regained consciousness. It looked like he was going to speak but they lifted a hand, the universal request for silence, while they continued to dig through their bag. Pulling out a container of wrapped sandwiches, Glynda shoved the food and water into his hands before moving and hauling him into an upright position against the trunk so he wouldn’t be at risk of choking while eating. Satisfied with his position, Glynda gave a nod for him to speak while they started fussing with a coil of rope they pulled from their pack.

 

“What’s your name?” Ozpin’s voice had that tone to it, the one Glynda hears every time strangers poke around their home, and they squint at him warily.

 

“Glynda. The family who took me in said to not give my full name to strangers.” Glynda continued working with the rope, tying it so it would work as a seatbelt, keeping Ozpin in the tree. “I’m not going to talk about who took me in or my family, either.”

 

Ozpin’s smiled at the finality in their voice, such a tone of certainty in such a young voice. “Is your aura unlocked?”

 

If he wasn’t mistaken, Glynda couldn’t have been old enough to be a student at Beacon, even if their height and build was impressive enough to imply otherwise. But it seemed like they had made themself into a mobile Grimm null spot, which was unheard of for anyone who either didn’t have a powerful semblance or years of Hunter training. With the amount of pain he was in and how he would have given off an incredible amount of distress while unconscious, there was no way that the Grimm would have missed him if it wasn’t for Glynda’s interference.

 

Glynda froze for half of a second at the question. “No.” Steady hands returned to tying the last knot before they gave the rope a tug to test it. Satisfied with their work, they sat by Ozpin’s stretched out feet and surveyed the scene below them. The number of Grimm swelled as the scent of blood had carried through the wind, but it seemed the monsters were unaware of their location.

 

For now.

 

“You could unlock it though, couldn’t you?” Glynda asked softly, the first sign of willingness to actually talk with him as they settled into their spot.

 

“We don’t have much in our village, just a small school that handles education through a high school level, and I graduated years ago.” They spoke, almost as if they were in a trance, and Ozpin listened intently as he eat a sandwich. “I walk these woods twice a week, through the heart of Grimm territory to travel from my village to the closest town over that has more resources for learning than we do. I’ve studied as many Hunter and Grimm related texts as I can during any downtime on the farm, but I’ve gone almost entirely through what that library has.”

 

The leaves around them whispered their windsong, the breeze ruffling the mess of Ozpin’s hair further and pushing the wisps of Glynda’s ponytail out of their face. Glynda tilted their face into the wind. It was a welcome relief after pushing so hard to save Ozpin from danger. Blindly reaching into their bag again, they pulled out the backup water skein they were carrying and drank heavily.

 

“I still don’t know why the Grimm don’t notice me, though. I was told that when I was about six, I looked a Grimm dead in the eyes and it wandered away from me. I think I would actually have to make a deliberate attempt to draw their attention.” They looked back down to the forest floor, even as they spoke the Grimm seemed to avoid the tree the two of them were on. “I don’t think that trick will help with getting you to the town with the amount of pain you’re in, or the muffled scent of blood you’re giving off.”

 

Gently, Ozpin asked them, “Why don’t you flee? If I stay here and rest, my aura will replenish itself enough for me to recover in a day or so. You’ve seen to that, and that’s far more than I would have asked you to do.”

 

With a wry smile, Glynda looked back at Ozpin. “There are Nevermore in these woods, and without me here, you’ll be bird food within a few hours. The other option, the one that would have the best chance of success for the both of us to survive, is for you to unlock my aura.”

 

Half eaten sandwich falling to his lap, Ozpin scrubbed his face with both of his hands. They were right, but all of Glynda’s book knowledge could only help so much against a pack of Beowolves. “That could kill you. Going against multiple Grimm, even just going against _one_ Grimm without training is asking you to die for me. You’re still a child, Glynda. You’re too young to die for an old fool.”

 

They stared at him, the inscrutable look in those emerald eyes increasingly unnerving as the moments stretched on. He sighed and beckoned them closer, holding out his hand to press against the golden crown of their head. “This will feel odd, but don’t move, no matter what.”

 

Ozpin started speaking under his breath, words going over Glynda’s head entirely as something inside them began to burn. Not a single book carried a description of what it felt like it have one’s aura unlocked, they just noted most individuals were unconscious when their aura awakened. Yet, they held still despite the discomfort and their eyes fell closed as they shivered. The hand lifted from their head as power surged through them, their exhaustion ebbing away. The bark under their hands gave way from the sheer force of their grip as they tried to do anything to stand the sensation.

 

Watching Glynda with concern, Ozpin’s exhaustion left him shaking. His hands shook as he guided the sandwich he had dropped earlier to his mouth. The energy drain on the unlocker of aura typically wasn’t too much of a strain, but Glynda’s aura was different than any he had encountered before. They had an overabundance of soul that carried a negative charge like a blade, and it left him feeling ragged after coming into direct contact with it.

 

“What will you do now?” Ozpin asked, his voice carrying the slightest tremble of fear under his exhaustion. As odd as Glynda seemed to be, there was potential within them, and he hated putting them into further danger for his sake.

 

Eyes finally opening, Glynda gave Ozpin a look. “First, I’m going to carve us a path through these Grimm.” Looking out one last time, they counted six Grimm and noted their positions. “Then, I’m going to get you to the next town so a doctor can make sure your leg will heal right.”

 

Spurred to action, they strapped their machete to their side before balancing on the branch, giving it a test bounce before jumping down to a lower branch. Hands reaching out, Glynda swung and bounced from branch to branch until they finally landed softly on the ground. They stayed low to the ground as they moved in towards their first target. The closest Grimm to the tree Ozpin was tied to was alone and had its back to Glynda. That was the last mistake it would ever make.

 

With more force than they should have been able to muster, Glynda launched themself at the Grimm. The Grimm stood a full head shorter than Glynda, standing no chance against the power Glynda wielded and they flipped it onto the ground. Glynda sank their blade into its throat as they both hit the ground, savagely dragging it until the knife came free. A shriek died in its ruined throat, smoke wafting from its body as Glynda dislodged their machete and moved on to the next target.

 

_One down, five to go._

 

Slipping through the trees like the predator they’ve always been destined to be, their eyes flashed with triumph as Glynda found the next closest two Grimm. The power they used to jump seemed connected to their aura being unlocked now, but the tactics they used were the ones they would use in any kind of fight. These Grimm were closer to their size but still seemed unaware of their presence as they prepared to attack.

 

Another mighty push off the ground and their blade sank into the throat of another Beowolf, its dying gurgle gave the one remaining a warning. The other Beowolf howled in anger as it charged at Glynda.They let the dead monster in their arms hit the ground before rolling to the side, missing the Grimm’s charge. It had a slightly longer reach than they did, but even with the healing their aura would provide, they didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a Beowolf slash.

 

The Grimm charged at them again, and Glynda threw their blade with Herculean force. The blade sank true into the Grimm’s eye, and the lack of typical bone-like covering allowed the machete to sink to the hilt before the Grimm fell dead to the ground. The last three Grimm came running onto the scene to see the two dead Grimm smoking as they faded from existence, and didn’t hesitate to mindlessly turn tail and run at the aggressive void that was ready to kill them.

 

Glynda sighed and stared at where their machete had fallen to the damp earth, wishing it would return to their hand as their exhaustion began to return to the forefront of their attention. The knife twitched on the ground, and as if it heard their call, it slowly rose and floated toward them. Starting from the shock of it actually moving, Glynda’s concentration broke and the blade dropped back to the ground. They lunged forward and picked it up, returning it to their sheath as they firmly decided that was something to ask Ozpin later.

 

At the reminder of Ozpin, Glynda walked back to the tree they had left him tied to. Climbing up took significantly less effort this time around, the branches and convenient hand-holds a blessing as they hauled themself onto the branch he rested on. Ozpin’s eyes were almost comically wide as he looked at them, an impressed awe that he made no attempt to disguise. Glynda mechanically started undoing the knots that kept the rope around him in place, mind hardly there as they coiled the rope and started packing their bag up.

 

“We’ll be in town by sundown if I hurry, so it’s best we leave now. Are you okay with being carried on my back?” Glynda dragged the bag to Ozpin’s side, and finally stopped when they noticed his expression. “What?” Their voice was laced with confusion, it felt like they had missed more than they usually do when interacting with people.

 

“Would you like to become a Hunter?” Ozpin’s voice was steady, but his hands had a faint tremor. “You already have more potential than most student hopefuls your age, and I’d be glad to help you prepare for Beacon’s entrance exams.”

 

Glynda froze as they processed what that could mean for them. Leaving their small town one last time, most likely never to return to their farm or tinker with things in their attic of a room. Learning how to use the power they have now, potentially learning why the Grimm never seem to notice them in the first place. It would mean a whole different world of cities and travel, a freedom to learn all they wanted to. The decision Glynda makes here would be life-altering, and it was so easy to choose that they could have cried with relief if they were a little more in tuned to their emotions.

 

“Yes.” Shaking themself out of their concentration, their lips curved just slightly enough to be considered a smile as they kneeled by Ozpin. “But first we need to get to town and get your leg looked at, you foolish old man, so strap that bag to your back and hold onto my shoulders.”

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone else ever think about how young Glynda was basically a jedi but also probably an unintentional (and sometimes very deliberate) shithead? Because I do. I do a lot, actually.
> 
> If you like my stuff, catch me over on tumblr @ barddog.


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